Defibrillator systems for providing electrical stimuli to a patient to reactivate the patient's heart pumping activity typically include electrode pads that are electrically coupled to the patient for transmitting the electrical stimuli to the patient's body. These same electrode pads can also be used for: continuous cardiac electrical stimulation such as used in pacemakers; continuous electrical monitoring of heart activity commonly referred to as electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring; plethysmography such as used in measuring the impedance of a patient; or other electrical monitoring of the patient or therapeutic delivery of electrical signals to the patient.
Preferably, the electrode pad includes a metallic electrode adapted to cover a relatively large surface area on the patient's body to minimize the concentration of electricity provided to the patient's skin and thereby minimize electrical burning. Further, these electrode pads preferably include a material, such as a conductive polymer, for increasing the conductivity between the electrode of the electrode pad and the body of the patient. Improved electrode pads have been provided with an adhesive substance adapted to adhere the electrode pad to the patient's body, thereby to insure good electrical contact between the electrode pad and the patient's body and, further, to free the hands of the operator. Prior electrode pads further include a paper backing that is disposed over the adhesive to prevent the electrode pad from unintentionally adhering to objects other than a patient's body at times when the electrode pad is not in use.
Prior art electrode pads have failed, however, to provide a means for convenient handling of the electrode pads. With particular regard to adhesive-covered electrode pads, the prior art have failed to provide means for enabling ready-handling of the electrode pads by the user such that the user is not required to contact the adhesive of the pad. This failure of prior art electrode pads is particularly disadvantageous to the user who is required to handle the electrode pads while wearing rubber gloves that have become commonplace in the medical industry. Since rubber gloves tend to exhibit greater adhesion to the adhesive of the electrode pad than the skin of the operator, manipulation of prior art electrode pads with rubber gloves is particularly difficult.
More particularly, prior art electrode pads have failed to provide any means for enabling a user to readily remove the paper release sheet without contacting the adhesive of the electrode pads. Further, prior art electrode pads have failed to provide any mechanism for allowing the user to easily apply the electrode pads to the patient's body without contacting the adhesive thereof. Still further, prior art electrode pads have failed to provide any means for enabling a user to readily remove the electrode pads from the patient. Prior art electrode pads have also failed to provide means for manipulating the electrode pads adhered to the patient's body.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the subject invention to overcome these limitations of the prior art. Other objects and advantages of the subject invention will become apparent from a reading of the following detailed description of the invention taken in conjunction with the drawings.